Dispensing container



April 13, 1948. T. F. KOLTS 2,439,627

DISPENSING CONTAINER Filed July 31, 1945 IN VEN TOR.

All/11 Patented Apr. 13, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPENSTNG Tehnies F. nous, LongBeach; Calif.-

Application July 31, 1945, Serial No. 668,063

2 Claims; (01. 312-47) 1 The deviceof this invention is adapted. to con tain and dispense cigarettes.

Normally the container is used to statically hold a supply of cigarettes in the usual manner of such containers. However, the instant invention incorporates the novelty of being so constructed that upon lifting the container and swinging the same with respect to its base support, a cigarette is automatically swung from its normal place of repose to a position in which it projects toward the operator of the device, and in which position it is readily picked up by the person using the container. The novelty oftne action in a ciga rett'e container, asabove described, is startling and appeals to all who use it because the action is entirely unexpected to those who use it for'the first time, and for those who repetitiously use the device, it forms a convenient and practical means to handle cigarettes particularly at such social functions as card parties and other informal gatherings.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention may appear from a study of the accompanying drawing and the detailed specification including the subjoined claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the article of this invention.

Figure 2 is a side-elevational view of the container.

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the container showing the same in the functional act of projecting a cigarette toward the user of the device.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the container showing the position of contained cigarettes when closed and showing in dotted lines the position of the cigarettes therein when raised to functional position, the view being that seen substantially along line 4-4, Figure 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the article of this invention.

The article Ill of this invention is a self serving or dispensing container primarily adapted to handle cigarettes, although it will be apparent that it may be used upon modification of proportions to handle other items such as matches, tooth picks, and the like, and as will be seen by observation of the drawing, comprises a base portion M which is a closed rectangular block except that the top side thereof is open as indicated by the reference character at l6 thereby enabling this part of the device to be used as an ash tray if desired, when the container 24 is raised to the position shown in 2 Figure "5,. or to the dotted li'neposition shown in Figuiel.

super osed upon the base i l I position and secure a block it: having a right-angled ste lt upon which such an object as a cigarette is adapted to rest prior to being swung around for presentation to a user as will appea'r'more clearly as the text of this specification is followed. The top side of the block it lies aplane which is parallel with the base I l and i sin flush contact with the upper side 22 of a cigarette container'f l which i pivotally connected to the block lli on pintles 26 so that the whole of the container 24 may be; swung from the horizontal position as shown in full lines Figure tothe vertical po sition as shown in dotted linesin the same figure. The container is defined by the upper side 22, the bottom side 28 and right and left sides 38 and 32. A slidable cover plate 34 permits of access to the container for such purposes as replenishing the supply of cigarettes 36, while the block it serves as a closure element for the end G of the container.

As shown in section in Figure 4 the cover or upper side 22 is provided with .a tapering inwardly projecting lip 40 the apex of which is spaced from the face 42 a distance slightly less than the transverse sectional thickness of a cigarette, thereby confining a cigarette upon the step l8 after lodgement thereon, as well as preventingthe untimely entry of cigarettes from the bulk supply 44 thereof. The bottom side 28 of the container is fore-shortened toward the end G as compared with the opposite side and terminates in a lip 45 which steadies the bulk supply 44 when piled in the container and upon lowering the container with respect to its base, guides a subsequent cigarette to a place of repose upon the step it. Upon lowering the container "the lip 40 is also lowered thereby creating an elongated slot sufficiently dimensioned to permit a cigarette to roll from the bulk supply to the step.

As will be noted by reference to Figure 3, the bottom side 28 of the container is formed with an inwardly directed angular projection 48, while .the block it is cut away at '50 and the forward edge 5i thereof forms a fulcrum about which one end of a cigarette is moved when the adjacent end of the cigarette is under pressure of the upwardly and rearwardly moving angular. projection 48, as the container 24 moves upwardly and rearwardly upon the hinge pintle 26, thereby causing the opposite end of the cigarette to swing clear of the step and project outwardly as shown in Figures 3 and 4 in which position it may readily be grasped by the one using the device.

When in functional position as shown infull lines, Figure 3, and in dotted lines in Figure 4, the lip 40, the lip 45, and the top side 20 of the block I6 serveas a support to retain the bulk supply in proper place, pending lowering the container to non-functional position, durin which movement the above mentioned lips move from a position of immediate adjacency to the surface 20 whereby a subsequent cigarette will move from the bulk and come to rest upon the step surface or face 42 and will remain in such position until the container is again swung back upon pintles 26, at which time the above described movement will again take place. Such cigarette movement is continuous until the bulk supply has been exhausted.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a base, a container hingedly secured upon said base and being adapted to contain a plural number of stacked cigarettes therein, a block, said block being secured upon said base and having a horizontal step formed thereon and upon which a cigarette may rest in horizontal position, and

means to apply pressure upon one end of said cigarette upon upward movement of said container from a lower horizontal position to an upper rearwardly inclined position whereby a cigarette upon said step is swung transversely of its axis to a position in which the longitudinal axis of the cigarette is directed toward an operator of the device.

2. In a device of the character described, a base, a container hingedly secured upon said base and being adapted to hold a supply of stacked cigarettes horizontally positioned therein, a block, said block being secured upon said base and being formed with a horizontal step thereon and upon which a cigarette is adapted to rest in horizontal position, and lips, said lips being positioned upon certain of the inner faces of said container and being functionally operable with said block to confine said supply of cigarettes within said container when in raised position, means on said container to apply pressure upon one of the ends of said cigarette upon said step upon upward movement thereof from a lower horizontal position to an upper rearwardly inclined position whereby a cigarette upon said step is swung transversely of its axis to a position in which the longitudinal axis thereof is directed toward an operator of the device, said lips and said block being so positioned with respect to one another that upon lowering said container from the upright functional position to the horizontal non-functional position,c1earance is provided whereby a subsequent cigarette will roll from stacked position in the container to a position onto said step prior to a subsequent functional movement of said container.

TENNIES F. KOLIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,743,498 $13011 Jan. 14:, 1930 2269066 Steininger Jan. 6, 1942 

